Happy Camper
Ronald “Happy” Camper found love. He wasn’t looking for it, but apparently it was looking for him. On an early-morning stroll through his favorite neighborhood park, Ronald listened to the birds tweet-tweet, said “howdy-do” to the passers-by, and breathed in the cool air. His straight-across grin was relaxed and gentle, and his eyes were friendly-looking. Before he went to bed every night, he thanked the universe for the amazing gift of his life. Ronald was content with his solitary existence. His friends gave him the nickname “Happy” because it fit his good mood and it was funny when said with his last name. In the park, Ronald took a path through a dense crop of weeping cherry trees. Their showy pink blossoms contrasted beautifully with the lush green grass beneath them. He sat on a wooden bench and began to read the newspaper. Looking up and to the left, he noticed a flash of bright yellow in the near distance. Even though he squinted his eyes, he couldn’t figure out what it was, which piqued his curiosity even more. (He was a very curious fellow.) The yellow object moved closer and closer, and Ronald was riveted. What was it? After a few minutes, the mystery was solved. A woman was standing in front of him. She had blond hair and wore a yellow dress, a yellow hat, and shiny yellow shoes. |
“May I join you?” she politely asked. Ronald jumped up and said, “Why, of course you may!” Jasmine sat on the bench and looked at the cherry trees. Ronald sat beside her and resumed reading his newspaper. It felt comfortable for both of them. On most days, Ronald and Jasmine met at the same park bench. Arm in arm, they would stroll through the beautiful park regardless of the weather. They enjoyed the fresh air and each other’s conversation. They talked about the past, the present, and the future with transparency and ease. To the unknowing eye, Ronald’s face looked the same—relaxed and gentle—but he knew that there was a difference between his old life and this new one. On this day, Ronald and Jasmine met at the park bench as usual, and she had an apprehensive look on her face. “What’s wrong, my dear?” “Nothing’s wrong, Happy. I have something to ask you.” “You can ask me anything.” Jasmine took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and whispered, “Will you marry me?” Ronald’s eyes watered, which hadn’t happened in a very long time. His face flushed, and his grin, which usually went across his whole face, seemed to get even wider. “Yes, Jasmine. I will.” Ronald was a very happy camper. From Carpet Creatures: Tales from the Deep Pile To join the Carpet Creatures project, please visit our TAE Gallery website. |
